The present invention relates to systems for air distribution, in particular into the passenger compartment of a vehicle, for example, a motor vehicle, of the type comprising at least one outlet for outflow of air into the passenger compartment, a duct for supplying a flow of air to said air outlet, and means for activating the air outlet, i.e., for controlling opening of said air outlet and/or for enabling supply of a flow of air to the air outlet through said duct,
in which the aforesaid activation means include a proximity sensor, which is associated to said air outlet in a position adjacent thereto and is designed to issue at output an electrical signal for activation of the air outlet following upon detection of the presence of a body at a short distance from the air outlet.
A system of the type described above is known from the document No. US 2002/072321. In said known solution, a hatch associated to an air outlet is automatically opened following upon detection of the body of an occupant of the seat in front of the air outlet and can be reclosed only manually. In addition, activation of the sensor associated to the air outlet cannot be controlled by the occupant, in so far as it occurs in any case once the occupant occupies the seat.
The European patent application No. EP 04425861.4, filed in the name of the present applicant and still secret at the date of filing of the present patent application, proposes a system in which said sensor is designed to be activated only when a body is set adjacent thereto, for example, when a hand is put in front of it (so that the air outlet is, instead, not activated by the mere presence of an occupant on the seat), and the aforesaid activation means further comprise:                an actuator, designed to switch said air outlet from the de-activated condition to the activated condition or from the activated condition to the de-activated condition; and        an electronic control unit, designed to receive a signal issued by said sensor and to control said actuator in such a way that, whenever the sensor is activated, for example by putting one's hand at a short distance therefrom, without touching it, the actuator brings the air outlet from the condition in which it is found, whether activated or de-activated, to the opposite condition.        